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Single family home in Nesslau SG, built to the Minergie standards.
Minergie Households are pioneers of sustainable living. 62.6 billion kWh of energy has been saved since its introduction 21 years ago.
The problem: The ventilation system of the Minergie buildings is electrically operated. This will be from next year Significantly more expensive. What does this mean for homeowners and renters who benefit from the Minergie standard?
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800,000 people in Minergie homes
“Of course, higher electricity prices are also affecting Minergie homeowners,” says Stefan Ishe (50), a building technology and energy expert from the HEV Homeowners Association. The extent of the strength depends on the size of the building and personal behavior.
About 800,000 people live in the Minergie House in Switzerland. Nearly half of Minergie’s approved buildings are apartment buildings and 25 percent are single-family homes.
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But that doesn’t mean Minergie homes use more energy than others. “Among other things, Minergie-certified buildings are better insulated than regular buildings,” explains Sabine von Stocker (44), a member of the Minergie board of directors. In this way, heating costs can be kept lower than in older, poorly insulated homes.
Minergie-certified buildings also produce a portion of the same required energy using photovoltaic systems. They are devoid of fossils, and therefore of Gas and oil prices rise not affected.
Can the ventilation be turned off?
The ventilation of Minergie homes ensures an even air exchange. Optimum air quality is achieved not only with fresh air, but also by removing excess moisture, odors, pollutants and carbon dioxide.2 is taken away.
Can those affected turn off this ventilation to save electricity costs? Experts advise against this. “Turning off the ventilation doesn’t necessarily save energy,” says von Stocker. “If you’re no longer doing ventilation by venting but by windows, you lose a lot of heat and have to heat up accordingly.”
However, households can choose not to change the air often. “By setting lower air exchange on the ventilation unit, minimal air exchange is still ensured within the very narrow building envelope in Minergie buildings,” says HEV’s Aeschi. This saved electricity costs.
Tenants can organize ventilation
The same goes for Minergie apartment tenants: “You can organize the ventilation in stages,” Wincasa spokesperson Janos Kick explains. However, you cannot turn it off completely.
Wincasa does not want to put a figure on how much additional costs will increase for tenants in Minergie apartments due to rising electricity costs. “This is very individual and depends on user behavior,” Kik says.
However, those who shut off Minergie ventilation must ensure that air quality remains good. This is especially difficult in Minergie buildings where the windows cannot be opened. Problem: The air humidity and oxygen supply here must be regulated by ventilation. Otherwise there is a risk of mold in the worst case.
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